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The economics of free: freemium games, branding and the impatience economy
Abstract
The gaming industry has seen dramatic change and expansion with the emergence of ‘casual’ games that promote shorter periods of game play. Free to download, but structured around micro-payments, these games raise the complex relationship between game design and commercial strategies. Although offering a free gameplay experience in line with open access philosophies, these games also create systems that offer control over the temporal dynamics of that experience to monetise player attention and inattention. This article will examine three ‘freemium’ games, Snoopy Street Fair, The Simpsons’ Tapped Out and Dragonvale, to explore how they combine established branding strategies with gameplay methods that monetise player impatience. In examining these games, this article will ultimately indicate the need for game studies to interrogate the intersection between commercial motivations and game design 2 and a broader need for media and cultural studies to consider the social, cultural, economic and political implications of impatience.
... Perceived usability (i.e., the lack of mental effort required to play), ease of access, simplicity, and the intuitiveness of the gaming experience also significantly contributed to an increase in playing intentions during the pandemic (Ong et al., 2023). Furthermore, the literature on F2P games highlights how F2P games fit into players' everyday lives; it emphasized that they can be played at any location, and at any time, seamlessly integrating into people's daily routines (Chess, 2018;Evans, 2016;Hjorth & Richardson, 2021;Laforge, 2023). ...
... Players are thus frequently pulled into the game only to be pushed out again after a few minutes (Chess, 2018;Ross & Nieborg, 2021). In light of such design, many have conceptualized the routinized character of F2P gaming practices, where frequent and repeated play sessions are viewed as embedded within everyday life's spaces and times (Burroughs, 2014;Chess, 2018;Evans, 2016;Ross & Nieborg, 2021). Lefebvre's (1971Lefebvre's ( , 1991 understanding of everyday life makes it possible to draw links between the routinized aspect of F2P gaming practices (Apperley, 2010;Burroughs, 2014;Chess, 2018;Evans, 2016) and disruptions in everyday life caused by the pandemic (Nascimento et al., 2023), while exploring how players' relationship to F2P games took form in this context. ...
... In light of such design, many have conceptualized the routinized character of F2P gaming practices, where frequent and repeated play sessions are viewed as embedded within everyday life's spaces and times (Burroughs, 2014;Chess, 2018;Evans, 2016;Ross & Nieborg, 2021). Lefebvre's (1971Lefebvre's ( , 1991 understanding of everyday life makes it possible to draw links between the routinized aspect of F2P gaming practices (Apperley, 2010;Burroughs, 2014;Chess, 2018;Evans, 2016) and disruptions in everyday life caused by the pandemic (Nascimento et al., 2023), while exploring how players' relationship to F2P games took form in this context. ...
As the COVID-19 pandemic struck, lives of millions of people were suddenly transformed. Given the way free-to-play (F2P) games are integrated into everyday life, the pandemic presents unique opportunity to explore how players' relationships with F2P games have been impacted. This study aims to understand how the first year of the pandemic impacted F2P gaming practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 46 Canadian F2P players. The analysis revealed three categories of change to participants' relationship with F2P practices: (1) disruptions to players' everyday lives, (2) the space and time in which play takes place, and (3) the role of gaming in everyday pandemic life. This study highlights changes within the players' living environment that enable these games to become an integral part of everyday life. Since some changes have lasted over time, it's important to explore whether their impacts on players' relationship with F2P games have also persisted over time.
... Given the strong drive for progress and the fact that waiting constitutes such a core element of the idle game genre, it is a rather simple task for developers to incorporate microtransactions that profit off the impatience of players (Evans, 2016). The ease with which idle games lend themselves to exploitation has prompted developers of idle games to express a desire to be "Care-full in Design" (Spiel et al., 2019, p. 500), with many viewing microtransactions in idle games as being unethical. ...
... These microtransactions are, in essence, "monetising player impatience" (Evans, 2016, p. 5), offering players the ability to bypass substantial portions of gameplay in exchange for real-world money. Some players perceive microtransactions as positive, allowing them to align gameplay with their schedules and providing a greater sense of control over the gaming experience, especially when their time may be limited (Carter et al., 2014;Evans, 2016), but there are also inherent risks with this form of progression. ...
... Developers may intentionally prolong game progression to an excessive extent, not to enhance engagement or entertainment, but rather to incentivize players to spend money to circumvent tedious aspects of gameplay (Evans, 2016). This is also seen outside the idle game genre as one interviewed player reported that they quit playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft, 2018) due to their perception that the leveling system was deliberately slowed down to promote the sale of experience point boosters exclusively available through the spending of real-world currency (Perdomo, 2021). ...
This paper explores the connection between cozy games and idle games, analyzing shared elements and underlying principles. Cozy games are characterized by an emphasis on comfort, relaxation, and safety, offering players an escape from the pressure of daily life through soothing gameplay experiences. Meanwhile, idle games feature waiting as a core mechanic, allowing progress to be made even in the player’s absence. This provides a continuous sense of growth and progression throughout the player’s day but may also lead to frequent engagements to optimize production. Furthermore, this desire for continuous progress may also be exploited by developers who capitalize on player impatience by incorporating microtransactions that expedite progression in exchange for real-world money. Thus, while idle games can fit within the cozy game genre, their monetization practices raise questions about ethical responsibility on the part of game developers and taint the genre’s potential as a serene gaming experience.
... As a result, FSAs position paid products strategically to support users' in-game status progression at a faster rate. Users who choose to make in-app purchases are motivated by an immediate consequence of progressing, whereas users who wait until restrictions are lifted are willing to delay gratification (Evans, 2016). Organizations rely on the impatience of users to make a purchase for instant gratification (Evans, 2016). ...
... Users who choose to make in-app purchases are motivated by an immediate consequence of progressing, whereas users who wait until restrictions are lifted are willing to delay gratification (Evans, 2016). Organizations rely on the impatience of users to make a purchase for instant gratification (Evans, 2016). Given an individual's preference for instant gratification and impulsiveness for smaller immediate rewards regardless of certainty (Białaszek et al., 2015), we anticipate that users who fail to gain in-game status at a faster rate will purchase the ability to accumulate points faster. ...
... Users with high and medium levels of interactivity who gain points at a lower rate tend to spend more, as a lower point rate can signal incompetence (Zagal et al., 2007) and users seek instant gratification to satisfy their competitive needs. This phenomenon aligns with the organization's strategy to monetize users' impatience (Evans, 2016). Users with low levels of interactivity with the FSA spend more on in-app purchases as their rate of gaining points increases. ...
Research question
Prompting consumers to spend more in fantasy sport applications is necessary to provide supplementary sources of revenue for sport organizations. The current research draws on gamification literature to examine consumers’ engagement with three prominent fantasy sports motivational affordances of points, badges, and leaderboards and its relationship with in-app spending.
Research methods
Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the behavioral data of 914 paying consumers in a fantasy sports application that had challenges available for top European football leagues.
Results and Findings
Consumers who were unable to gain points, acquire badges frequently, or progress in leaderboards interacted more often with the fantasy sports application. Consumers spent more in the fantasy sports application if their rate of gaining points was low and their rate of interactivity with the platform was high. Rate of acquiring badges and leaderboard progress had no significant relationship with in-app spending. However, consumers’ rate of interactivity with the platform influenced the relationship between leaderboard progress, and in-app spending.
Implications
Findings contribute to the sport consumer behavior literature, specifically in the fantasy sports context, through gamified touchpoints. This research offers valuable insights for entities affiliated with fantasy sports, such as gambling businesses, sports network channels, sport leagues and teams, and fantasy sport companies, on strategies to sustain their platforms through enhanced revenue generation.
... Freemium service developers create and offer restricted features periodically to capitalize on consumers' impatience and encourage IAPs. Such tactics are designed to create an "economy of impatience" (Evans, 2016). Given their motivation to be socially competitive (Shi et al., 2015), highly interactive consumers' inability to acquire rewards, move up the leaderboard or win challenges can provoke IAPs. ...
... On the other hand, since such consumers frequently interact with the services, feeling stuck or unable to unlock restricted features can lead to frustration and boredom (Denisova et al., 2017). Thus, highly interactive consumers who fail to obtain rewards, move up the leaderboard and win many in-app challenges are less resistant to the developers' monetization strategy (Evans, 2016). Therefore, the following three hypotheses are tested to understand which motivational affordances prompt highly interactive consumers to become super engagers (i.e. ...
... The feeling of frustration corresponds to low daily usage but high login behavior with the gamified service. The results highlight that some highly interactive consumers may get impatient and make IAPs to gain access to paid features and win more rewards (Evans, 2016). Additionally, such super engagers are knowledgeable about the game mechanics. ...
Purpose
Online services are increasingly utilizing gamification techniques to encourage consumer loyalty and engagement. However, the majority of the gamified services fail to be financially sustainable. Existing freemium and gamified services literature provides scant knowledge on behavioral predictors of in-app purchases in freemium gamified services. The research examines highly interactive consumers' in-app behaviors using competition-based motivational affordances, daily usage behavior and social competition motivation that convert them into super engagers.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors applied a multimethod approach by using Multivariate Logistic Regression ( n = 685) to analyze in-app behavioral data and Qualitative Comparative Analysis ( n = 94) to examine survey and in-app behavioral data of highly interactive consumers of a freemium gamified service to explain paying behaviors.
Findings
Results reveal highly interactive consumers that elicit heavy daily usage of the application or excel at in-app challenges are less likely to convert to super engagers. Among super engagers, some are socially competitive, and their inability to advance in the leaderboard corresponds to in-app purchases, while non-socially competitive consumers make purchases to collect extrinsic rewards. Additionally, highly interactive consumers who possess more knowledge about the gamified service become super engagers to increase their chances to be socially competitive.
Originality/value
This research examines in-app behaviors of highly interactive consumers of a freemium gamified service that lead to in-app purchases following varying levels of daily usage behavior and social competition motivation. The authors contribute to the previous literature by defining and examining a new consumer segment – super engagers – that is financially beneficial for freemium services because of their in-app purchases. The authors provide insight on in-app behaviors that convert highly interactive consumers to super engagers and demonstrate that the reason for highly interactive consumers to make in-app purchases is a function of acquiring specific internal and external rewards based on their level of social competition.
... Literature that discussed the phenomenon Avoiding spam [1,32,34,35,31,18] Becoming the best [1,27,53,41,49,31,9,4,18] Continuing play [17,32,34,35,18] Giving gifts [27,16,33,18] Investing in a hobby [1,18] Indulging the children [23,18] Personalization [27,49,18] Playing with friends [16,53,41,18] Protecting achievements [17,15,16,18] Reaching completion [15,16,41,53,49,18] Reasonable pricing [16,4,18] Avoiding repetition [17,9,32,18] Showing off achievements [27,44,49,4,18] Showing off to friends [27,44,49,4,18] Participating in a special event [17,27,49,18] Special offer [16,49,9,18] Speeding timers [17,27,49,31,9,18] Supporting a good game [1,18] Unlocking content [17,31,9,18] Intention to Use [50] Intention to use, plan, or desire to consume a certain technology which in will measure the intent of the gamers to use the cashback program of brand retail digital voucher, while Behavioral Aspect relates to the degree to which using the technology will able to influence the purchase behavior of consumers and users will measure the potential to change the decision of the gamers. Consequently, the abstract proposed: Hypothesis 1. ...
... Literature that discussed the phenomenon Avoiding spam [1,32,34,35,31,18] Becoming the best [1,27,53,41,49,31,9,4,18] Continuing play [17,32,34,35,18] Giving gifts [27,16,33,18] Investing in a hobby [1,18] Indulging the children [23,18] Personalization [27,49,18] Playing with friends [16,53,41,18] Protecting achievements [17,15,16,18] Reaching completion [15,16,41,53,49,18] Reasonable pricing [16,4,18] Avoiding repetition [17,9,32,18] Showing off achievements [27,44,49,4,18] Showing off to friends [27,44,49,4,18] Participating in a special event [17,27,49,18] Special offer [16,49,9,18] Speeding timers [17,27,49,31,9,18] Supporting a good game [1,18] Unlocking content [17,31,9,18] Intention to Use [50] Intention to use, plan, or desire to consume a certain technology which in will measure the intent of the gamers to use the cashback program of brand retail digital voucher, while Behavioral Aspect relates to the degree to which using the technology will able to influence the purchase behavior of consumers and users will measure the potential to change the decision of the gamers. Consequently, the abstract proposed: Hypothesis 1. ...
... Literature that discussed the phenomenon Avoiding spam [1,32,34,35,31,18] Becoming the best [1,27,53,41,49,31,9,4,18] Continuing play [17,32,34,35,18] Giving gifts [27,16,33,18] Investing in a hobby [1,18] Indulging the children [23,18] Personalization [27,49,18] Playing with friends [16,53,41,18] Protecting achievements [17,15,16,18] Reaching completion [15,16,41,53,49,18] Reasonable pricing [16,4,18] Avoiding repetition [17,9,32,18] Showing off achievements [27,44,49,4,18] Showing off to friends [27,44,49,4,18] Participating in a special event [17,27,49,18] Special offer [16,49,9,18] Speeding timers [17,27,49,31,9,18] Supporting a good game [1,18] Unlocking content [17,31,9,18] Intention to Use [50] Intention to use, plan, or desire to consume a certain technology which in will measure the intent of the gamers to use the cashback program of brand retail digital voucher, while Behavioral Aspect relates to the degree to which using the technology will able to influence the purchase behavior of consumers and users will measure the potential to change the decision of the gamers. Consequently, the abstract proposed: Hypothesis 1. ...
... . Previous studies have tried to identify the driving factors of engagement in e-commerce [4]; however, there is still no specific study on the factors of engagement for mobile games. In a new and growing market like mobile games, it is important to understand the factors of engagement that can create a sustainable game to be able to grow the business and, on a larger scale, the industry. ...
... The user engagement scale, which measures engagement in the context of e-commerce, was created by O'Brian and Toms [9]. In their previous research [4] on engagement in e-commerce, including video games, it is identified that there are four essential attributes of engagement: well-defined goals, immediate feedback from the system, prior experience, and increasing challenge in proportion to game playing skills. The research also mentioned physiological arousal, a player's sense of social presence, and sensation-seeking as factors of engagement in a video game. ...
... This variable is derived from the perceived usability variable of O'Brien and Toms' [4] research. After the interview with CV.X's project manager, it is established that the variable is like the user experience in a game. ...
... In the past decade, the Free-to-Play (F2P) business model has become popular in the video game industry [65]. Several games companies have considered transitioning their games from the Buyto-Play (B2P) or the Pay-to-Play (P2P) models to the F2P model [19,56,60] because it can lower player entry barriers (i.e., game purchase cost in B2P; subscription fees in P2P), and offer significant profitability for developers and publishers [46,49,61]. F2P games allow players to join for free, but rely on micro-transactions as the main revenue source [49,59,70]. ...
... This diminished the overall playfulness of game experience [33]. The use of false impressions through "fake" bundles and discounts were perceived more than inconvenience to drive players' desire of in-game items [19,32] but as predatory [35,59] and violations of Consumer Protection laws 14,15 [36]. To ensure the autotelic aspect of gameplay for players, our findings suggest that while new game mechanics are necessary, future games should maintain the fundamental elements that motivate and engage players during their business model transitions [33,69,74]. ...
Over the last decade, the free-to-play (F2P) game business model has gained popularity in the games industry. We examine the role of deceptive design during a game’s transition to F2P and its impacts on players. Our analysis focuses on game mechanics and a Reddit analysis of the Overwatch (OW) series after it transitioned to an F2P model. Our study identifies nine game mechanics that use deceptive design patterns. We also identify factors contributing to a negative gameplay experience. Business model transitions in games present possibilities for problematic practices. Our findings identify the need for game developers and publishers to balance player investments and fairness of rewards. A game’s successful transition depends on maintaining fundamental components of player motivation and ensuring transparent communication. Compared to existing taxonomies in other media, games need a comprehensive classification of deceptive design. We emphasize the importance of understanding player perceptions and the impact of deceptive practices in future research.
... Furthermore, some scholars have empirically explored the conversion from free to paid status based on consumer value theory and have found that the willingness to upgrade mainly stems from enjoyment and the cost of the premium subscription (M€ antym€ aki et al., 2020). For example, players might pay to skip ads in the game to get a better gaming experience (Evans, 2016;Kimppa et al., 2016), might pay to unlock some advanced features to enhance the fun of the game (Evans, 2016), or might pay to upgrade equipment to overcome some difficult challenges in the game (Hamari et al., 2020). In addition, in recent years, game developers have tried to motivate players to upgrade from free to premium through the lootbox mechanism (Neely, 2021). ...
... Furthermore, some scholars have empirically explored the conversion from free to paid status based on consumer value theory and have found that the willingness to upgrade mainly stems from enjoyment and the cost of the premium subscription (M€ antym€ aki et al., 2020). For example, players might pay to skip ads in the game to get a better gaming experience (Evans, 2016;Kimppa et al., 2016), might pay to unlock some advanced features to enhance the fun of the game (Evans, 2016), or might pay to upgrade equipment to overcome some difficult challenges in the game (Hamari et al., 2020). In addition, in recent years, game developers have tried to motivate players to upgrade from free to premium through the lootbox mechanism (Neely, 2021). ...
Freemium open-world games have become one of the most profitable game genres through the sale of in-game items. However, despite the apparent commercial success of the freemium approach to open-world games, the antecedents of players’ in-game purchase intention have been understudied. In this study, we built a theoretical framework based on cognitive absorption (CA) theory to understand the mechanism underlying players’ in-game purchase intention in open-world games. Several hypotheses were proposed regarding how CA was formed and how CA’s influence on in-game purchase intention might be moderated by motivational affordances (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness). These hypotheses were tested by partial least-squares structural equation modeling, using a sample of 490 valid responses among open-world game players. The results suggest that CA significantly increased players’ in-game purchase intention, which is strengthened by two motivational affordances (i.e., autonomy and competence). In addition, personal innovativeness, playfulness, and perceived affective quality are verified as important determinants of CA in open-world games. We discuss the related theoretical and practical implications of these findings.
... Mesmo sendo em menor escala,é importante notar que alguns usuários sentem maior pressão ao usar uma skin nova (Fig. 11u), e encaram outros jogadores sem skins como menos experientes (Fig. 11t e 11x 11.0% (9) 25.0% (21) 12.0% (10) 26.0% (22) (a) Pretendo comprar uma skin em League of Legends nos próximos meses. (30) 13.0% (11) 27.0% (23) 10.0% (8) 31.0% (26) (b) Compraria muito mais skins do que tenho se tivesse mais dinheiro. ...
... 11.0% (9) 23.0% (19) 13.0% (11) 22.0% (18) (h) Já deixei de comprar uma skin porque não vi o evento ou promoção a tempo. (13) 18.0% (15) 9.0% (7) 10.0% (8) (i) Eu compro uma skin que seja legal mesmo que não use muito aquele campeão. 19.0% (16) 11.0% (9) 27.0%(23) 25.0% (21) 33.0% (28) (j) Costumo ter várias skins para um mesmo campeão. ...
Este trabalho tem como tema central discutir o modelo de negócio free-to-play e suas implicações para os jogadores. Em meio a uma variedade de práticas abusivas nesse meio como pay-to-win e loot box que incentivam um comportamento de apostas e vício no jogador, buscamos identificar um ponto de equilíbrio entre um modelo de negócios viável para desenvolvedores e ao mesmo tempo vantajoso para seus usuários. Para isso, realizamos uma extensa avaliação qualitativa com 116 jogadores, utilizando como foco o League of Legends -- um dos jogos gratuitos de maior sucesso na atualidade que contém microtransações baseadas em sua maioria em itens cosméticos -- para avaliar o processo de decisão de compras de seus jogadores. Nossos resultados apontam principais elementos que influenciam os consumidores, alertando para os problemas que podem emergir neste processo e possíveis benefícios para os players. Com esse trabalho queremos garantir um ambiente saudável para o público gamer, e também oferecer uma robusta referência do púbico consumidor de jogos para orientar o processo o desenvolvimentos de jogos que sigam caminhos semelhantes.
... Players tend to believe that character functions and capabilities are important for winning a game. At the beginning of play, they often summon a character that resembles a hero (Buchanan-Oliver and Seo, 2012) or create a character that is powerful, strong and clever (Evans, 2016;Lehdonvirta, 2009;Peng, 2008;Yee, 2007). Players enjoy developing their own characters, controlling their character to interact with the context and making them stronger with the intention of increasing their chances of winning the game (Buchanan-Oliver and Seo, 2012). ...
... Then, as they perceive greater power during the game, they feel more confident in improving their game performance. Virtual currencies, techniques and equipment are purchased by them to boost their game power to compete with other online gamers and, ultimately, improve game performance (Evans, 2016;Lehdonvirta, 2009;Peng, 2008;Yee, 2007). The power they obtain in the gaming process helps players perform better in the game (Park and Lee, 2011). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of congruence between the ideal self-image of a game player and the game character on identification and interaction with the game character, perceived game power and performance, character attachment and willingness to spend money on the game character.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 347 online game players participated in an online survey posted via the nationwide crowdsourcing web service Mechanical Turk in the US. A structural equation modelling was conducted using a maximum-likelihood estimation procedure to test the relationships among the variables.
Findings
The results revealed a significant positive impact of congruence between a game character and the ideal self-image of a game player on identification and interaction with the game character, perceived game power, game performance, attachment to the game character and willingness to spend money on the game character.
Originality/value
Although significant research has been conducted in the area of online gaming, limited attention has been given to the strategic game content that stimulates a player's intention to purchase game items. Due to the challenges in sales growth in the game industry caused by business model shifts from a subscription-based model to a free-to-play one, it is important for marketing practitioners to motivate game players to continue playing the game and purchase game items. The results of this study provide valuable strategic insights to overcome the limitations of existing marketing strategies in the online game business.
... [93]'s study has found that richer online formats and recommendations throughout video games enhance consumers' perceptions about experience products and positively affect consumers' intentions to purchase products. Furthermore, [44] found that app-based gaming has created complex models to generate purchase (in and out the game). Models that comprises explicit exchange of money for digital items within each game or economic systems based on virtual assets (e.g., Worldwide Asset eXchange and OPSkins market) and no explicit -nor direct-purchase related to the game (i.e., through branding freemium games or ads). ...
... In agreement with [86] and the Theory of Innovation Diffusion, the popularity of video games makes them spread through social networks, motivating players through innovative and unique designs. Since, actual digital media users' philosophy of open access implies no immediate payment in order to play video game [44], game developers ought to be aware of the alternative paths (such as micropayments or virtual assets transactions) to reach gamers' purchase intention (in order to maintain the ecosystem developed for generating revenues). ...
The smartphone has made gaming more accessible and desirable for a wider market than ever before. Game apps are one of the most consumed and fastest growing products in the world today. Yet, few studies have thus far explored the implications of games apps consumption from a consumer perspective, addressing the transfer of abilities from one technological field to another. The main purpose of this paper is threefold: to ascertain the role of personality as a determinant of self-efficacy, to establish whether there is a transfer process from self-efficacy in video gaming with apps to online shopping and to analyze the impact of self-efficacy on the online purchase of game-related products. Results show that neuroticism, extraversion, and agreeableness determine the gaming self-efficacy that is transferred to online shopping self-efficacy and finally to the online purchase of game-related products. These insights provide interesting managerial implications that could affect video game marketing.
... In these cases, the creators profit from the brand company and not directly from the audience. This is particularly the case where brands are so desperate to revitalize themselves that they are even prepared to lose money in order to do so, as was the case with US media franchise Peanuts, which developed the app-based game Streetfair as a means of revivifying a brand which to a younger generation of media consumers was perceived as "old" (Evans, 2016). Using app-based games to encourage the consumption of associated media products and merchandise is the type of transmedia approach not only undertaken by established brands, but also ones which are trying to gain a foothold in the market. ...
... Using app-based games to encourage the consumption of associated media products and merchandise is the type of transmedia approach not only undertaken by established brands, but also ones which are trying to gain a foothold in the market. This was a strategy employed by Backflip Studios in its development of the Dragonvale game app to build its wider brand (Evans, 2016). ...
As with the US and EU media landscapes, the Chinese film industry is dominated by platforms similar to Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, most notably in the form of the BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) companies that according to He ((2015, August 10). Chinese internet companies are taking over the film industry. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://uk.businessinsider.com/chinese-internet-companies-are-taking-over-the-film-industry-2015-8?IR=T) are “taking over the film industry”. These have been described as “imperialistic” in the monopolization of their respective markets and in the use of their financial muscle to squeeze content creators’ incomes (Jin, D. Y. (2015). Digital Platforms, Imperialism and Political Culture. New York: Routledge.). While in the western market this undermines the mainly middle-class professionals who drive creativity (Timberg, S. (2015). Culture Crash. The Killing of the Creative Class. New Haven: YUP.), in China it limits the opportunities for new talent to grow. This paper will, therefore, give an overview of the Chinese microfilm (online short movies) industry and investigate how Chinese BAT companies and other online video providers could enhance the Chinese film industry by developing infrastructure to direct revenue of microfilms to the creators.
... En ce sens, l'étude n'en est pas une de réception, mais plutôt une étude sémiotique (Compagno et Coppock, 2009 ;Pérez-Latorre et al. , 2017) grâce à l'interprétation des effets de sens des jeux ainsi que de leurs effets affectifs (Boutaud et al., 2004). De nombreux travaux en études du jeu (game studies) ont été convoqués pour structurer le cadre méthodologique (Mäyrä, 2008 ;Fernández-Vara, 2015), entre autres grâce aux genres de jeux (Arsenault, 2011), aux types de microtransaction, aux structures des jeux, et ce, en lien avec le modèle économique du free-to-play (Salen et Zimmerman, 2005 ;El-Nasr et al., 2016 ;Evans, 2016 ;Nieborg, 2016b ;Alha, 2020 ;Neely, 2021 ;Petrovskaya et Zendle, 2021). ...
Si de nombreux jeux vidéo sont vendus moyennant un certain montant, le modèle d’affaire des jeux gratuits ( free-to-play ) s’est rapidement imposé au cours de la dernière décennie. Or ce modèle, qui est basé sur la collecte de données personnelles, les microtransactions et le profilage publicitaire, implique des ventes d’items et un temps de connexion le plus étendu possible afin d’accroître les profits. Pour ce faire, différentes stratégies sont utilisées, dont des stratégies dites « persuasives » qui influencent les joueurs et joueuses à demeurer connectés, à dépenser et à revenir fréquemment sur le jeu gratuit. Parmi ces stratégies, les mécaniques de jeux de hasard et d’argent (JHA) sont reconnues pour leur force persuasive et leur pouvoir addictif. Elles sont pourtant de plus en plus présentes au sein des jeux mobiles pour les adultes, mais également ceux pour les enfants. Afin de documenter le phénomène, 249 jeux mobiles gratuits pour enfants ont été analysés pour évaluer la prévalence des mécaniques persuasives et de JHA, leurs formes d’actualisation et leurs types d’intégration dans l’expérience vidéoludique des enfants. Nos résultats démontrent une « gamblification » des jeux mobiles gratuits pour enfants et un conditionnement des comportements qui passe par une normalisation des mécaniques persuasives et de JHA auprès de ce jeune public. La convergence des jeux vidéo avec les JHA se confirme à nouveau avec une focalisation sur des jeux pour un très jeune public. L’article se conclut en prenant acte de ce sérieux enjeu de santé publique en lien avec le bien-être des enfants.
... They saw that it made sense to invest in promising players who could grow, and provided conditions for training and a salary (Ma, 2021) [20] . [12,11] . But over the past few years, the industry has undergone tremendous changes. ...
Esports in Ukraine started significantly latter than in other progress countries, therefore in present times, Ukrainian egamers are face to face with specific problems of the esports accelerating development in the country. The research aims to study problems of developing esports in Ukraine. In professional esports teams, players receive a salary. Now monthly salary is a thousand dollars. That's what on gets consistently. In addition, there is prize money, of which he receives 80-85%, and the rest the player gives to the employer. It depends on the number of tournaments and prize pools, but there were times when they received an additional one and a half thousand dollars. On average, it is about 120 thousand prize money and generated 1.2 million hours of broadcast views.
... This rapid growth and increased competitiveness suggests that understanding the motivations behind players' decisions to purchase and play tabletop games is crucial for game designers seeking to create games that resonate with their target audience [20,45,46,48,56]. While research has been conducted on in-game purchases and freemium models in digital games [24,27,28,33,100], there is a lack of similar research focusing specifically on the tabletop games industry. Understanding player motivations has direct implications for effective marketing strategies in the tabletop games industry [41]. ...
The tabletop games industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. A deeper exploration of the factors motivating players to invest time and money in these games would help game companies better cater to their target audience and increase profits. We conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews with tabletop game players. Our analysis revealed five themes concerning purchasing decision influences: (1) childhood past experiences and cultural norms, (2) representation and inclusivity, (3) social connections and shared fun, (4) overcoming gameplay hindrances with digital assistance, and (5) economic constraints. These findings suggest that game companies should focus on presenting easily understandable information, minimizing idle time, and exploring opportunities for inclusivity in digital interactions to effectively engage players and drive sales. Based on our valuable insights into player motivations, we offer actionable recommendations for the tabletop games industry.
... Furthermore, the ability to innovate a Business Model is a key factor in the success of SuperApps. These companies have achieved remarkable results by developing new business models, offering unique combined services under one brand [44], and utilising novel approaches to customer acquisition and retention, such as freemium models or adaptive and demand-based pricing [45]. One of the SuperApps' greatest strengths is their ability to leverage their extra capabilities and market-leading practice of user-centric design and experience innovation [46]. ...
This study focuses on one of the most notable digital innovations in recent times - the SuperApps, which synergically combine customer service, mobile usability, and integrated service offerings. Utilizing a comprehensive review of existing literature, this research explores the concept of the SuperApp, evaluates the feasibility of establishing a ranking system for SuperApps, and constructs a definitive top ten list of leading applications. Following this, the research advances to a primary investigative task, which entails a thorough analysis of academic sources to assemble and define the essential attributes that define a SuperApp, specifically revealing what essential features distinguish a mobile application as a SuperApp. To achieve these objectives, the study rigorously processes scientific articles available in the Scopus and Web of Science database, aiming to enhance the academic understanding and categorization of SuperApps within the digital technology domain. Using a bibliometric mapping methodology, which involves analysing keyword occurrences through VOSViewer, the conducted research identifies a notable academic gap in Scopus- and Web of Science-indexed documents. The analysis indicates that despite the prevalence of recent articles and academic texts, the defining characteristics of a SuperApp (commonly referred to as 'Super-App' in Scopus-indexed scholarly literature) remain inadequately explored and understood. This gap underscores the need for further empirical research to clarify the features and implications of SuperApps. Such research could enrich the body of knowledge in the above-described documents, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding in the field. Based on experiences with Scopus and Web of Science by selecting some of the most cited articles from Google Scholar, this study has compiled a six-element list that encapsulates the most crucial characteristics of SuperApps. These fundamental features are then briefly analysed and presented, linked to some of the most impactful innovation management theories linked to SuperApp concepts also presented. This offers a comprehensive understanding of their significance and functionality within the SuperApp framework.
... Chung (2005), Lehdonvirta (2009), andSoroush et al. (2014) study the player's purchasing behavior in microtransactions through empirical analysis. Evans (2016) uses three freemium games as examples to explore how to make money from a player's impatience. Lee et al. (2021) analyze player addiction to the massively multiplayer online effect-playing game (MMORPG). ...
Digital game platforms have provided “pay-to-play” (P2P) games for players to purchase and play on platforms for many years. Recently, platforms have adopted the hybrid bundling (HB) strategy that provides a bundled service of digital games in addition to P2P games. This strategy has the potential to facilitate the growth of digital games and address efficient decarbonization of physical copies of games. This study develops a theoretic model to explore whether the platform should adopt HB and, if so, what are the optimal value and price of the bundled service. We find that HB benefits profits when the usage cost of the bundled service is lower than that of P2P games, the unit price of P2P games is relatively high, and the spillover effect is low. Under such circumstances, the platform decides to provide a low-value and high-price bundled service to supplement P2P games. Moreover, when the usage cost of the bundled service is higher, HB benefits market size which also promotes digital games and reduces carbon emissions. Under such circumstances, when the unit price of P2P games is high, the platform provides a high-value and low-price service; otherwise, a low-value and low-price service. Interestingly, HB cannot simultaneously benefit both profits and market size. We find that a win–win–win situation exists for the platform, players, and social welfare when HB is profitable for the platform. When HB expands market size, it is always beneficial to players but may hurt social welfare. Finally, the bundled service may lead to social inefficiency.
... The scale of mobile games continues to expand, and the types of games are becoming richer and richer, making teenagers' consumption behavior in online games more and more frequent. The consumption behavior of teenagers in online games has become a hot topic of concern from all sectors of society [6] . Our research goal is to explore the motivation of teenagers to buy virtual goods. ...
With the rapid development of the digital age, virtual items are widely used in daily life and entertainment. This study aims to gain an in-depth understanding of consumers’ motivations, influencing factors, and psychological states in purchasing virtual items and to provide valuable suggestions for the virtual goods industry. Through in-depth interviews and questionnaires, the study reveals that consumers’ main motivation for purchasing virtual items is to improve their gaming experience. At the same time, social interaction also plays an important role in purchase decisions. Factors such as price, affordability, and herd mentality also influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. In addition, personalized and customized services, social elements, and reasonable pricing and promotion strategies for virtual goods are important to attract consumers. This study is of great significance to the virtual goods industry. Enterprises should first understand consumers’ personalized needs and provide virtual goods and services that meet them.
... These studies include: (Chou & Ting, 2003;, Abbasi et al., 2021. Research conducted by Evans (2016) explains that watching an eSports match can increase one's game expectations, where players can overcome various obstacles and challenges that exist after watching eSports. This finding makes Macey et al. (2020) make a hypothesis that has been proven to have a significant positive effect on the desire to watch and play. ...
The esports industry is experiencing rapid growth, particularly in emerging countries like Indonesia, prompting intense competition among game developers and esports event organizers to enhance the customer experience. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing watching intention, gaming intention, and in-game purchase intention, as well as examine the interrelationships among these variables. Data were collected from 243 respondents through purposive sampling, all of whom have been playing Mobile Legends for over a year, have watched the M3 World Championship eSports match, and have made at least one in-game purchase. The research hypotheses were tested using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method. The findings reveal that escapism, family and friends, and social interaction positively influence watching intention. Similarly, social interaction and hedonic motivation exhibit a positive effect on gaming intention. Notably, gaming intention serves as a full mediator in the relationship between watching intention and in-game purchase intention. This study contributes to the existing literature by shedding light on how Sports Consumption Motivation not only influences eSports spectators' watching intention but also gaming and in-game purchase intention. It also identifies novel factors, such as social interaction and hedonic motivation, that significantly impact gaming intention. Understanding the factors driving watching, gaming, and in-game purchase intentions enables tailored approaches that prioritize aspects like escapism, social interaction, and hedonic motivation, ultimately informing strategic decision-making and marketing efforts within the eSports industry. These findings inform future research and refine strategies for engaging with eSports audiences, benefiting both academia and industry stakeholders.
... Una gran cantidad de las ramificaciones más simples del juego permiten acceder a escenas complementarias u obtener elementos que, en ocasiones, podrían ayudar al jugador en el avance del camino crítico como, por ejemplo, ropa para eventos concretos o escapadas con amigos (Figura 4). Aunque, es necesario señalar que, puesto que este es un juego freemium, es habitual que las elecciones que dan acceso a ciertos desvíos del camino crítico cuestan diamantes (dinero del juego), los cuales son muy limitados a no ser que se realice un gasto real de dinero (Evans, 2016): si no se quiere hacer este gasto, se le priva al jugador de su derecho a decidir. ...
El género romántico se encuentra presente en todas las formas existentes de entretenimiento por la capacidad que presenta de apelar a sentimientos y emociones comunes, traspasando diferencias sociales y culturales. En el trabajo que aquí se presenta, la atención se ha centrado en el género romántico dentro de los videojuegos. Existe un considerable interés por este tipo de creaciones, pero, dicho interés, resulta incompleto. Mayoritariamente, las investigaciones que se han realizado sobre este tipo de videojuegos, aunque se han desarrollado desde múltiples y variadas perspectivas, se han centrado en juegos desarrollados en Asia, conocidos como Otome. Sin embargo, si se centra la atención fuera de oriente, los videojuegos de género romántico existentes han sido, en gran medida, ignorados hasta el punto de negar su existencia. Esta investigación busca reivindicar estas creaciones olvidadas mediante el análisis de un estudio de caso concreto Choices: Stories you play. Aplicando el análisis de contenido, y partiendo de los elementos característicos de la literatura romántica, esta investigación demuestra que el videojuego seleccionado pertenece al género romántico, poniendo de manifiesto que este tipo de videojuegos no son exclusivamente orientales.
... Previous literature has explored how speci¯c characteristics a®ect the likelihood of users paying. These include game features such as service quality [Hamari et al. (2017)], elements of gambling [Koeder and Tanaka (2017)], type of game (social versus solitary) [Ryan et al. (2016)], as well as users' characteristics such as their vanity [Geng and Chen (2019)] and impatience [Evans (2016)]. ...
Design/methodology/approach: A primary quantitative study was conducted using a structured questionnaire. To test our hypotheses across different cultures and increase the generalizability of our findings, we surveyed potential users of freemium mobile games in the UK and Singapore. Our final sample consisted of 295 users. Purpose: While a lot of research focus has been placed on mobile games, studies on the factors influencing the adoption of this form of entertainment do not distinguish between pay-to-play and freemium games. We argue that the freemium model, where the user downloads a stripped-down version of a game for free and pays for updates, requires distinct focus. Our research aims are to: a) explore the factors determining the adoption of freemium mobile gaming as a form of entertainment and b) identify the conditions under which the gap between intending to play freemium mobile games and making in-game purchases is created. Findings: Our study’s contribution to current research is twofold. Firstly, its findings reveal the factors determining the adoption of freemium mobile games using TAM. Secondly, our findings indicate the additional factors that bridge the gap between intention to play and intention to pay, namely loyalty with playing mobile games and perceived economic value. Originality/value: To our knowledge this is the first study exploring the factors determining the adoption of freemium mobile gaming as a form of entertainment and identify the conditions under which the gap between intending to play freemium mobile games and making in-game purchases is created.
... Thus, research suggests the relationship between monetization and platform value is unclear and is driven by the specific monetization mechanism implemented. Other elements of social media platforms interact with the monetization model to shape behaviors in unexpected ways [52]. Specifically, content creator status can potentially interact with monetization to impact both total content quantity and user engagement. ...
Social media platforms want to increase their valuation in terms of total content quantity and user engagement. Monetization is often used to induce user content generation. However, research documents that while monetization increases the quantity of specific kinds of content, it does not necessarily increase the total content quantity or user engagement (i.e., platform value). Furthermore, the impact of monetization may depend on the social status of content creators. This article investigates paid question and answer (paid Q&A). Based on expectancy theory and relevant research, this article hypothesizes the effects of introducing paid Q&A on both total content quantity and user engagement and on answerers of differing statuses. We test the model using data from a natural quasi-experiment of the introduction of paid Q&A to Weibo. The key insight of our study is that total platform value in terms of both total content quantity and user engagement rises with the presence of paid Q&A. Furthermore, we find that an answerer's status negatively moderates the impact of introducing the paid Q&A feature on total content quantity but positively moderates its impact on user engagement. Our research provides insights into the causality of introducing the paid Q&A feature on platform value as well as the boundary condition of this relationship. Practically, paid Q&A is shown to be profitable to social media platforms and to increase the benefits to platform users.
... In this regard, microtransactions resemble coin-op arcade machines as in both cases the unit price is small but can stack up with repeated purchases. However, while arcade games monetize the access to a game, and, by extension, playtime (Kocurek 2012), freemium titles can sell a variety of virtual goods (Nieborg 2015), including prolonged playtime, but also, paradoxically, an acceleration of in-game activities and thus technically a shorter playtime (Evans 2016). The underlying assumption of freemium is that the game can be played for free despite the existence of microtransactions. ...
... A player's perception of game performance (which is their subjective view of how they are successful or not in the game relative to other players (Babin and Boles, 1996)) is more influential in stimulating gameplay than objective play performance such as game scores or level-ups (DeConinck and Bachmann, 2005;Veloutsou and Panigyrakis, 2004;Yurchisin and Park, 2010). As players pursue, unlock, earn and win many notable signifiers of game performance such as collecting coins or diamonds, defeating enemies, receiving points, moving on to new levels or completing the game faster than others at each difficulty level, they experience a sense of greater achievement and success in the game (Choi et al., 2015; Effects of AR-enhanced presence Evans, 2016;Lehdonvirta, 2009;Trepte and Reinecke, 2011;Yee, 2007). Players tend to use game performance records such as achievement scores, number of wins and cumulative points to gauge their progress or improvement in playing a game. ...
Purpose
The purpose of the present research was to examine the effects of content, spatial, temporal and social presences stimulated by augmented reality (AR) technology on game enjoyment and continuing behavioral intention.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 355 mobile AR game players participated in an online survey posted via the nationwide crowdsourcing web service in the US. A structural equation modeling was conducted using a maximum-likelihood estimation procedure to test the relationships among the variables.
Findings
Results of structural equation modeling revealed the mechanism through which multiple dimensions of presence on the mobile AR game generated positive effects on consumer responses and showed the effects of four dimensions of presence stimulated by the AR technology on game enjoyment, performance and behavioral intention. Content, spatial, temporal and social presences are integrated to create a sense of realness. These dimensions of presence simultaneously increased game enjoyment that influenced the perceived game performance, commitment to it and ultimately the intention to play other mobile AR games.
Originality/value
Although AR technology brings a unique experience to the game player, research on the effects of its use in mobile games on consumer responses is currently limited. The results of this study add value to the existing mobile game literature and provide practical insights for mobile game service providers on how to enhance players’ game enjoyment and continuing behavior.
... Monetization policies associated with these digital products is rapidly revolutionizing the marketing and advertisement space in information systems (Appel et al., 2019, Liu et al., 2014. Another challenge faced by marketing managers is that most of the revenues from these games are generated through the freemium business model (Evans, 2016, Kumar, 2014, Niculescu and Wu, 2011 where consumers play the game for free and revenue is accumulated through advertisement or purchase of premium add-on components to the game. Developing a disciplined analytics framework for monetization and sustainability of these games is critical for these platforms. ...
We consider user retention analytics for online freemium role‐playing games (RPGs). RPGs constitute a very popular genre of computer‐based games that, along with a player's gaming actions, focus on the development of the player's in‐game virtual character through a persistent exploration of the gaming environment. Most RPGs follow the freemium business model in which the gamers can play for free but they are charged for premium add‐on amenities. As with other freemium products, RPGs suffer from the curse of high dropout rates. This makes retention analysis extremely important for successful operation and survival of their gaming portals. Here, we develop a disciplined statistical framework for retention analysis by modelling multiple in‐game player characteristics along with the dropout probabilities. We capture players’ motivations through engagement times, collaboration and achievement score at each level of the game, and jointly model them using a generalized linear mixed model (glmm) framework that further includes a time‐to‐event variable corresponding to churn. We capture the interdependencies in a player's level‐wise engagement, collaboration, achievement with dropout through a shared parameter model. We illustrate interesting changes in player behaviours as the gaming level progresses. The parameters in our joint model were estimated by a Hamiltonian Monte Carlo algorithm which incorporated a divide‐and‐recombine approach for increased scalability in glmm estimation that was needed to accommodate our large longitudinal gaming data‐set. By incorporating the level‐wise changes in a player's motivations and using them for dropout rate prediction, our method greatly improves on state‐of‐the‐art retention models. Based on data from a popular action based RPG, we demonstrate the competitive optimality of our proposed joint modelling approach by exhibiting its improved predictive performance over competitors. In particular, we outperform aggregate statistics based methods that ignore level‐wise progressions as well as progression tracking non‐joint model such as the Cox proportional hazards model. We also display improved predictions of popular marketing retention statistics and discuss how they can be used in managerial decision making.
... 47 Game designers have started to create more open-ended experiences, mixing "time-based monetization strategies" with retention mechanics, such as limited-time offers and in-game timers. 48 A slew of "key performance indicators" (KPIs) entered the game development lexicon: average revenue per daily active user, day 1 and day 30 retention (D1 and D30), and cost per install. Guided by these KPIs, game studios started to invest heavily in, and subsequently optimize, elaborate "user acquisition" advertising campaigns, which target players with demographic profiles similar to paying players. ...
This article investigates the ways content producers, marketers, and other promotional stakeholders work to optimize cultural goods and services for platform-dependent production, distribution, and monetization. We are particularly interested in how content creators find novel ways to work within, around, and even against platform politics and policies by manipulating algorithms, business models, and guidelines, or otherwise readying their content for optimal circulation on multiple platforms. Through comparative cases of music, games, and apps that draw on trade press and industry discourse, institutional and financial analysis, and select interviews with musicians, we consider various forms of, and strategies for, what we call cultural optimization. We draw on these instances to better understand the similarities and differences in the optimization of cultural content and metadata for economic or cultural gains. We hope our comparative approach reveals different conceptions of the term optimization, and that this term-in all its digital, financial, and cybernetic connotations-might prompt new ways of thinking about the interactions between content, (meta)data, platforms, and culture that have long shaped the circulation of cultural goods. ARTICLE HISTORY
... In this regard, microtransactions resemble coin-op arcade machines as in both cases the unit price is small but can stack up with repeated purchases. However, while arcade games monetize the access to a game, and, by extension, playtime (Kocurek 2012), freemium titles can sell a variety of virtual goods (Nieborg 2015), including prolonged playtime, but also, paradoxically, an acceleration of in-game activities and thus technically a shorter playtime (Evans 2016). The underlying assumption of freemium is that the game can be played for free despite the existence of microtransactions. ...
Despite a growing academic interest in in-game monetization, much less attention has been paid to the production context of microtransactions. With this chapter, we aim to address this gap by focusing on the roles and responsibilities related to video game monetization. We answer the titular question of this chapter using a mixed methods approach, combining semi-structured interviews, content analysis of job descriptions, and frequency analysis of in-game credits. Results suggest that monetization responsibilities are both being integrated into various existing roles, including game designers or product managers, but also spawn new dedicated roles of monetization specialists. Monetization as a game development task is closely related to data analysis and only inconsistently appears in in-game credits.
... In this regard, microtransactions resemble coin-op arcade machines as in both cases the unit price is small but can stack up with repeated purchases. However, while arcade games monetize the access to a game, and, by extension, playtime (Kocurek 2012), freemium titles can sell a variety of virtual goods (Nieborg 2015), including prolonged playtime, but also, paradoxically, an acceleration of in-game activities and thus technically a shorter playtime (Evans 2016). The underlying assumption of freemium is that the game can be played for free despite the existence of microtransactions. ...
Video games have entered the cultural mainstream and in terms of economic profits they now rival established entertainment industries such as film or television. As careers in video game development become more common, so do the stories about precarious working conditions and structural inequalities within the industry. Yet, scholars have largely overlooked video game production cultures in favor of studying games themselves and player audiences. In Game Production Studies, an international group of established and emerging researchers takes a closer look at the everyday realities of video game production, ranging from commercial industries to independent creators and cultural intermediaries. Across sixteen chapters, the authors deal with issues related to labour, game development, monetization and publishing, as well as local specificities. As the first edited collection dedicated solely to video game production, this volume provides a timely resource for anyone interested in how games are made and at what costs.
... These temporal design mechanics are tied to monetization mechanics constituting the freemium business model. Impatient players are nudged to pay for virtual items or currency that can speed up the building or crop-growing process (Evans, 2016). Chess (2018) points to the industry term "invest/express," which represents the investment of time, and potentially money, which is then expressed in changes to the game world. ...
Social casino apps are an emergent genre in the app economy that sits at the intersection of three different industries: casino gambling, freemium mobile games, and social media platforms. This institutional position has implications for the social casino app's political economy and culture of consumption. We argue that social casino apps are representative of a broader casualization of risk that has taken hold in a platform society. By combining the uncertainty and chance associated with gambling with the interruptibility, informality, and modularity of free-to-play mobile games, social casino apps offer complete contingency in how they are designed and played. Game progression and social networking features are used to normalize the relationship between the consumer of social casino apps and the contingency of their desired form of play. As a result, the experience of risk is no longer restricted to the casino floor and in fact becomes a part of one's daily routine. This casualization of risk marks the next adaptation of the contingent cultural commodity, where nothing is guaranteed and everything is subject to chance.
... Kerr, 2017;Owens, 2010), freemium/free-to-play-pay-to-win business models (e.g. Evans, 2016;Lin and Sun, 2011;Nieborg, 2015;Reynolds, 2019), loot boxes (King and Delfabbro, 2018;Macey and Hamari, 2019), gamble-play media (Albarrán-Torres, 2018), and other monikers, it appears that gamblification reflects a range of larger social transformations. ...
The transformation of games with the advent of platformized distribution systems continues to produce new and agile forms of consumption and exploitation. Valve Corporation’s DOTA 2 is a key example of a gaming space that is constantly atomized and rebuilt with the aim of optimizing player participation. This participatory form is ever-more gamblified and framed by systems designed to habituate players to a new form of consumption. This article explores how DOTA 2 transforms every year with the advent of a yearly Battle Pass, brimming with gambling systems aimed at eliciting specific forms of user participation. We catalog and schematize these systems with the aim of shedding light on the inner workings of DOTA 2 during this season. The purpose of our work is to move the discussion beyond a regulatory focus on symptomatic loot boxes and toward a deeper understanding of the rhetorical systems hiding beneath game systems.
... However, studies from the perceived value in the context of freemium services are scarce. Consumer motivations and perceptions have thus far been studied for example from the perspectives of attitude towards extra premium purchases (Wagner et al., 2014), political economy (Nieborg, 2016), service quality (Hamari, Hanner et al., 2017), technology acceptance (Yan & Wakefield, 2018), theory of planned behavior/reasoned action (Hsiao, 2013;Schreiner & Hess, 2015), expectation-confirmation theory (Hsu & Lin, 2015), the design of freemium services and particularly related to combining service mechanics with the business model (Evans, 2016;Hamari & Lehdonvirta, 2010), and persuasiveness of the freeness (Wagner, Benlian, & Hess, 2013). Some studies exist on the perceived value in the context of freemium mobile games (Hsiao & Chen, 2016). ...
Freemium has become de facto business model for games and many other online services. We investigate how consumers' perceived value is associated with their intention to use freemium services and to purchase premium content. We employ data gathered through an online survey (N=869) among players of freemium/free-to-play games. Firstly, we find support for the "Demand Through Inconvenience" -hypothesis proposed in this study, indicating that the higher the enjoyment of the freemium service, the lower the intentions to purchase premium content but higher intention to use the service overall. Secondly, social value is found to positively affect freemium use and premium purchases. Thirdly, the quality of the freemium service does not seem to be associated with premium purchases although it has a positive association with freemium use. Fourthly, the economic value of freemium services is positively associated with freemium service use and via increased use also has a positive effect on premium purchases. The findings of the present study highlight the peculiarity of the freemium business model: increasing perceived value of the freemium service (i.e. enjoyment) may both add to and retract from future profitability via increased retention on one hand, reduced monetization on the other.
... Micro-transactions comprise the buying of virtual goods (such as 'loot boxes') or rewards that can be purchased for small payments within the game (Agarwal, 2017) and are a large factor in 'freemium' (free-to-play) games. Freemium games offer no cost to download and play the game but generally contain some form of micro-transaction or in-game commercial strategy (Evans, 2016). Profits from micro-transactions have been substantial, with one company reporting $4 billion (US) in revenue from micro-transactions in 2017 (Makuch, 2018), just over half of its total revenue for the year. ...
Gaming disorder is set to be included in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems alongside other behavioural addictions (gambling disorder) and substance-related addictions. Given the popularity of online gaming, this is set to become an increasingly common presentation to general mental health professionals, addiction specialists, and general practitioners. This article briefly examines online gaming and describes the characteristics of gaming disorder. Some features of online gaming that have addictive potential and similarities to other addictive behaviours such as gambling disorder are discussed. Finally, the article examines treatment options available for gaming disorder and treatment going forward from an Irish perspective.
... But this also suggests that because these organizations have specific needs (usually to make money), they need to exploit popular interest by channelling it in a particular way. This means, extensions such as the Facebook game which operates also within the limitations of the specific economics of Facebook games (Evans 2015) are not driven by opening up semiotic uncertainties and hence facilitate talk, which causes significant problems to the populist project. This means that although the opportunity for the threeway flow of communication existswhere producers communicate with audiences via the extension, and audiences communicate with each other about the extension and feed their talk back to producers-it cannot be taken up because such a model of communication would require a greater emphasis on narrative in particular and other aspects of the series, which in the case of the Facebook game cannot be offered because of the limitations of games within the social media website. ...
Contemporary cultural production shows that crime- and detective fiction has a pervasive presence in our historic moment. It has got an extremely wide and solid fan base, it has always been around and its popularity and centrality in the cultural domain since the 18th century has been amply demonstrated by a wide range of scholarly approaches. Crime and Detection in Contemporary Culture brings together contributions by a wide range of international authors, and attempts to reposition crime writing by directing attention to the ways in which it has always been a peculiar and key mode of channelling cultural imaginaries about violence, transgression and various instances of social pathology. While highlighting crime fiction’s ability to constantly reinvent itself, its ubiquity and reliance on participation that make it, as a genre as well as a mode, so powerful and capable of mobilizing audiences more than any other form of genre fiction, the collection offers innovative approaches to recent manifestations both in literary fiction and across converging media that demonstrate how crime fiction as a critical paradigm becomes more and more conducive to (generic) subversion, transgression and hybridization. The volume draws on the scholarly legacy of studying crime through the converging areas of history, literature, culture, gender and politics, and aims to constitute crime fiction as a mode which successfully channels social anxieties and ethical dilemmas both historically and in our present historic time when our sense of security has become eroded in relation to our identities. It is a venture in showing the centrality of the figuration of crime in modern culture, as well as a heavily structured analysis focusing on issues of genre, social and political aspects of the culture of crime, and media-specific problems of its representation.
As free-to-play games have increased their economic value, the research interest on them has increased as well. This article looks at free-to-play game research conducted so far through a systematic literature review and an explorative analysis of the documents included in the review. The results highlight an excessive focus especially on behavioral economic studies trying to maximize the player bases and profits, while other aspects, such as meaningful game experiences, cultural and societal implications, or critical review of the phenomena have been left in the marginal. Based on the review results, this article suggests four future agendas to reinforce the lacking areas of free-to-play game research.
This article explores the experiential value of gambling within free-to-play (f2p) gamespaces. In doing so, it offers a more balanced understanding of the gambling/gaming interplay. Whilst existing understandings tend to focus on the assumedly predatory monetisation techniques that players are subjected to by game developers, I instead argue that a logic of gambling is integral to the f2p experience economy of Asian players. Drawing on an analysis of in-depth interviews with Singapore-based game players/developers, I show how the virtual items and worlds that players engage with through f2p gamespaces are imbued with experiential value, whilst developers leverage the volumes of data generated by players to maximise this value in ways that might eventually lead to their monetisation. Embracing these complementary facets of f2p gamespaces can help expand normative understandings of gambling in/and gaming.
This article situates the recent explosion of online and app-based sports betting within longer histories of datafication and financialization in sports business and culture. The author tracks four histories in which media technologies and financial logics dissolved previously stable sporting events, athletes, and results into aggregations of data and derivatives that could be leveraged and wagered on. Photography established feelings of confidence and objectivity in horse-race results during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Screen and computational technologies since the 1970s have enabled Las Vegas casino sportsbooks to overwhelm bettors with data abundance. Television and web-based play moved poker at the turn of the millennium away from surprise, chance, and reading people toward probability, risk, and reading data. Around the same time, fantasy sports and management-based video games mirrored financial markets in transforming athletes and leagues into derivatives, that is, disaggregated units that could be reassembled in new digital permutations. Each story helps position contemporary online sports betting within a longer historical arc in which gambling and speculation moved to the center of global economy and culture.
Mobile gaming is a rapidly growing and incredibly profitable sector; having grown seven-fold over the past 10 years, it now grosses over $100 billion annually. This growth was due in large part to a shift in monetization strategies: rather than charging players an upfront cost ("pay-to-play"), games often request optional microtransactions throughout gameplay ("free-to-play"). We focus on a common scenario in which games include wait times---gating either items or game progression---that players can pay to skip. Game designers typically say that they optimize for player happiness rather than revenue; however, prices for skips are typically set at levels that few players are willing to pay, leading to low purchase rates. Under a traditional analysis, it would seem that game designers fail at their stated goal if few players buy what they are selling. We argue that an alternate model can better explain this dynamic: players value tasks more highly as they are perceived to be more difficult. While skips can increase players' utilities by providing instant gratification, pricing skips too cheaply can lower players' utilities by decreasing the perceived amount of work needed to complete a task. We show that high revenue, high player utility, and low purchase rates can all coexist under this model, particularly under a realistic distribution of players having few buyers but a few big-spending "whales." We also investigate how a game designer should optimize prices under our model. An appendix of the paper with proofs, more comprehensive results and visualizations can be found at https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.10205.
This article studies what are the characteristics of a B2B SaaS freemium firm. Freemium in a B2B setting is an under-explored phenomenon whereas B2C SaaS freemium has been studied extensively. On the consumer side freemium has played a big role but freemium has only recently started to enter the B2B environment. Traditional, sales-led B2B SaaS companies have increasingly begun to turn to freemium and hence, it is important to understand how do they go about it. The empirical qualitative research was conducted as a case study and the data was gathered by interviewing European B2B SaaS freemium businesses. The data was analysed using qualitative thematic analysis and the coding approach used for identifying the concepts was open coding and axial coding. From the data three main success factor themes emerged that were evident in the B2B environment: customer success, internal enablers and external enablers.KeywordsSaaSSoftware-as-a-ServiceFreemium
This article studies what are the characteristics of a B2B SaaS free-mium firm. Freemium in a B2B setting is an under-explored phenomenon whereas B2C SaaS freemium has been studied extensively. On the consumer side freemium has played a big role but freemium has only recently started to enter the B2B environment. Traditional, sales-led B2B SaaS companies have increasingly begun to turn to freemium and hence, it is important to understand how do they go about it. The empirical qualitative research was conducted as a case study and the data was gathered by interviewing European B2B SaaS freemium businesses. The data was analysed using qualitative thematic analysis and the coding approach used for identifying the concepts was open coding and axial coding. From the data three main success factor themes emerged that were evident in the B2B environment: customer success, internal enablers and external enablers.
Este artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación etnográfica sobre las prácticas de participación (orientadas a causas cívicas) realizadas por dos comunidades de práctica en el contexto de la cultura participativa. Se propone el concepto de cultura de la participación cívica como una apuesta por evidenciar las prácticas de participación relacionadas con temas y causas cívicas, a partir de relatos y discursos mediáticos ficcionales y basados en el movimiento maker. La metodología desarrolla una estrategia que recupera las formas de agencia comunicativa presencial y virtual de las personas integrantes de dos comunidades de práctica. Se realiza una propuesta de categorización de las prácticas observadas a partir de la movilización transmedia que incorpora referentes de la cultura popular al involucramiento cívico de los participantes, y de una forma de hacktivismo fan caracterizado por el uso creativo y alternativo de la tecnología digital y analógica para la resolución de problemas sociales.
Sammendrag
Denne artikel undersøger de økonomiske og kulturelle forhold mellem digitale platforme og norske og danske spiludviklere. Hvor digitale platforme som Apples og Googles appbutikker, Valves Steam og Sonys, Microsofts og Nintendos onlinebutikker har gjort det lettere for spiludviklere i Norge og Danmark at nå ud til millioner af potentielle kunder, introducerer jeg nogle udfordringer og kritiske perspektiver ved at vise til forskningslitteratur fra platformstudier og politisk økonomi, der identificerer platformes magt over markeder, dataovervågning af brugere, indvirkningen på kulturelle produkter og geopolitiske understøttelser, hvor platformene hovedsageligt ejes af udenlandske virksomheder støttet af fremmede stater, såsom USA. Først kortlægger jeg, hvorledes små danske og norske spilindustrier er stærkt afhængige af internationale markeder, som kun er tilgængelige via store digitale platforme. Samtidig viser jeg, at disse computerspil er afhængige af statslig økonomisk støtte til at dyrke dansk og norsk digital spilproduktion på internationale markeder. Det primære fokus er derfor at redegøre for dynamikken mellem norske og danske spilvirksomheder, de nationale støtteordninger til nationale kulturer og de store globale digitale distributionsplatforme.
Contemporary digital technologies have facilitated practices related to games whereby users often produce and consume content for free. To date, research into consumer interactions has largely focused on in-game factors, however, the intention to both play the game and to make in-game purchases are influenced by outside factors, including game streams and game-centred communities. In particular, the growth of competitive gaming, known as esports, offers a new channel for consumer engagement. This research explores the potential for esports to be a significant factor in understanding both intentions to play and spend money on games. Our study draws from Motivations Scale of Sports Consumption to empirically investigate the relationship between esports spectating motivations and game consumption: Watching Intention, Gaming Intention, and Purchasing Intention. This survey uses structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse data collected from a sample of video game players (n = 194). This research contributes empirical evidence of the relationship between esports spectating and game consumption, with the relationship between Watching Intention and Gaming Intention found to be particularly strong. Finally, while the MSSC is an adequate measure for esports spectating, additional aspects specific to esports require further investigation, consequently, there may be more optimal measures which can be developed.
Pleasure is undeservedly excluded from studies of algorithmic governance. Nevertheless, due to the incessant competition over attention, prevalent in today’s media environment, the maximisation of pleasure and consumer satisfaction becomes a must in order to be able to exert the power of algorithmic governance in the first place. Therefore, the first part of this chapter is dedicated to a discussion of the importance of enthralling one’s audience and the role of data therein. The second part, meanwhile, is focused on nudging strategies that are geared towards encouraging individuals to make predefined choices. However, in today’s datafied, pleasurised, and personalised environment, nudging goes beyond mere encouragement: As showed in this chapter, options can be stacked in such a way that individuals simply cannot fail to choose the option intended by the choice architect.
Since the first Pokémon game launched in Japan in 1996, the series has been a balancing act between casual and hardcore gaming. While the first iteration and “core” series has emphasized a modified, accessible version of traditional JRPG mechanics, other titles have frequently emphasized so-called casual play; most recently, Pokémon Go lured in a new set of players with mobile, locative Pokémon hunting. The 2018 release of a hybrid game, Let’s Go, Pikachu! and its sister release Let’s Go, Eevee!, has drawn renewed attention to the casual-hardcore dichotomy, meeting considerable resistance and criticism for its perceived casualization of the franchise. Through analyzing the discourse of the new game’s reception as demonstrated by a dataset of user reviews on Metacritic alongside published game reviews, the gendered nature of the casual-hardcore dichotomy in the Pokémon franchise becomes clear. Key themes coded from the reviewed data include grinding, difficulty, nostalgia, and “cuteness.” Placing this discourse alongside the game’s own internal representations of reproductive labor through Pokémon caretaking and the contested definition of “grinding” demonstrates a fundamental resistance from the so-called hardcore game community to what are viewed as feminized play mechanics. The revealed tension is particularly remarkable given the emotional, reproductive labor of training and loving Pokémon that is front-ended in the franchise’s overarching narrative and core values--a set of values that inherently conflicts with the “hardcore” gamer mentality of play.
This article compares the “continuity” produced by private- and public service television companies and discusses whether it can survive in the digital era. In broadcast television, “continuity” carries the industry’s dominating business model: the commercial break. The present disruption to this model, caused by digital technology, over-the-top companies like Netflix and social media like Youtube, has made the television industry eager to adapt to new television viewing habits. However, based on a comparative analysis of the communicative strategies of four television companies in Denmark, the article argues that a traditional delay economy still governs the temporal structures and constructions of continuity. This delay economy draws heavily on the patience of its implied viewers. The article discusses this conceptualization of the audience in the context of an emerging impatience culture in which instant access to personalized audio-visual content and gaming on different devices are part of the viewers’ media experience.
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